Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries are top defensive teams in WNBA, now facing off in finals

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Golden State forward Kayla Thornton knows every basket in the WNBA Finals will be tough to come by, given how much the Valkyries and the Atlanta Dream take pride in making stops.

The league’s two best defensive teams are about to square off for a championship in a best-of-seven series that could be low-scoring. The Valkyries host Game 1 on Saturday with their raucous “Ballhalla” home crowd to back them on the biggest stage this second-year franchise has reached.

“We’re the top two in the league,” Thornton said, “so I think it comes down to just the details and who wants it more.”

Dream star Angel Reese loves to get involved in every play and wreak havoc, whether by forcing jump balls or making steals. The Dream have four of the top seven players in steals this postseason, led by Jordan Canada and Rhyne Howard at 2.2 per game. Golden State’s Gabby Williams is averaging 1.7 steals in the playoffs, while Reese has a 1.6 steals average.

“They like to get in the passing lanes,” Williams said. “It’s maybe going to be a game where good offense leads to good defense.”

Atlanta is chasing the first championship in franchise history after losing in the Finals three times in four years from 2010-13. Atlanta lost in the first round the past three seasons but enters this series on a 10-game winning streak dating to the final game before the break for the women’s FIBA World Cup.

The Dream swept Washington and New York in the playoffs.

“Nobody thought that we would make it to the Finals and we’re doing that, we’re achieving that,” Howard said. “We set out goals long before this year and it’s finally coming into fruition.”

Gray’s status remains in doubt

Dream forward Allisha Gray took part in a light practice on Friday and will be a game-time decision for Game 1 after missing the last two games of the semifinal series with an injured left ring finger.

“We’re just waiting to see how my finger reacts to just the pace and intensity of the practice, and then we’ll know,” Gray said.

Coach Karl Smesko said he’s hopeful Gray will be able to play at some point in the series.

Gray led the team in scoring in the regular season at 19 points per game and is the best outside shooter for Atlanta with 3.1 3-pointers per game.

“It’s definitely hard because you want to be out there and compete with your teammates,” she said. “But I’ll say it just gave me time to rest my body and get healthy.”

Valkyries go from franchise debut to Finals in two seasons

The Valkyries are the fastest expansion team to reach the WNBA Finals by getting there in year two — one year faster than Atlanta did in 2010. They did it by eliminating the defending champion Las Vegas Aces in the semifinals.

Other expansion teams have had quick success like Golden State. The NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights reached the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season in 2017-18 and the Chicago Fire won the Major League Soccer title in their first season in 1998.

But the Valkyries have a chance to set a record. The fastest expansion champion in the modern era for the WNBA, NFL, NHL, NBA and MLB was the Milwaukee Bucks, who won the NBA Finals in their third season in 1970-71.

Nakase believed Golden State’s title run could happen

The magnitude of the moment doesn’t seem to faze Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase, who was on Becky Hammon’s Las Vegas staff when the Aces won back-to-back titles in 2022 and ‘23. Nakase served as an assistant for the champion U.S. team in last month’s FIBA World Cup in Berlin.

“It’s not just me, I don’t feel alone in this at all,” she said. “I feel like this is going to be a collective effort about us putting all of our high IQs together.”

Several players have championship pedigrees

The Valkyries have plenty of championship-tested players who can offer some insight. Thornton won it all with the Liberty in 2024. Kiah Stokes earned rings with the Aces under Nakase in 2022 and ’23 then another last year. Cecilia Zandalasini won a title with Minnesota in 2017.

Stokes is averaging 9.5 rebounds this postseason, ranking her third and top among players in the finals. Reese is next among players from these teams at 8.4 rebounds.

The Dream have three players who have won WNBA titles with DeWanna Bonner doing it in 2009 and ‘14 with Phoenix, Jordin Canada in 2018 and ’20 with Seattle, and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough in 2019 with Washington.

Castoffs have shined for Golden State

Many of Golden State’s stars — including Williams — have been cast off by other teams, giving them more reason to want to show what they can do.

“A lot of people on our team have just felt undervalued or unappreciated or if you’re not the main star on your team you kind of get overlooked,” Stokes said. “A lot of players have that mindset so coming to a team where it’s kind of like a clean slate, Natalie, she’s not going to BS you, if you don’t do your job you’re not going to play.”

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AP Sports Writer Josh Dubow contributed to this report.

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